Retail Motor Law

Devon Trading Standards has brought a prosecution against Devon Trade Centre, a car dealer, for promoting misleadingly low prices on vehicles for sale on its website.

The company, was fined £8000 and owner, Mark Hiscox was also fined £4,000 for the offences. Both he and the company, which pleaded guilty to eight charges, were also ordered to pay £3,148.45 each for prosecution costs.

The dealer was prosecuted under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, following complaints from customers about being misled by low prices advertised on the business's website.

Trading Standards officers had previously advised the company that advertised prices had to be true and accurate but customer complaints continued.

 Vehicles were advertised at a lower amount when the actual price of the vehicles on the forecourt was much higher. One price displayed on the website was £1,500 lower than the price the customer was actually asked to pay.

 In addition, vehicles were also then subject to an additional administration fee of between £249 and £599.